Lyre-zither.



No. 689,297. Patented'Dec. l7, |90|.

V. ECKHART.

LYBE mum,

(Application filed. Mar. I4, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

m: NORRIS Pzrsnspou b-noYcmJ'ruo.v WASHINGTON. n. c.

No. 689,297.-= Patented Dec. l7, 19m.

V. ECKHART.

LYRE ZITHER.

(Application filed Mar. 14, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VINCENZ ECKI-IART, OF GRAZ, AUSTRIA-HUN GARY.

LYRE-ZITH ER.

SIEEGIFIGATION' forming par t of Letters Patent No. 689,297, dated December 17, 1901.

Application filed March 14, 1899. Serial No. 708,068- (No model.)

Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lyre-Zithers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for strengthening and enrich ing the tones of a zither by arranging in the interior of the zither-body two systems of strings crossing one another, which when the outer ordinary strings are played on vibrate in sympathy therewith, and thereby increase naturally the volume and beauty of the sound, also by giving the zither-body the symmetrical form ofa lyre and by providing a bridgesupport between the zither-top and the bottom and freely supported from the latter, so that the bridge-support and all parts resting theron are permitted to retain their full'capacity for acoustic vibration. A new manner of fastening the outer strings and a special construction and arrangement of the finger-board also contribute to this result.

In the accompanying drawings an embodiment of my invention is represented as follows:

Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a longitudiual section on the lines at at 41: 00 at a: of

' in a plan view the zither-body with the top I i I- removed. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line E F in Figs. 1 and 4: in direction of arrow 3. Fig. 6 is apartial cross-section on the line G,Fig. 4:. Fig. 7 is a cross-section through the head of the instrument on the line 7 7, Figs. 1,2, and 4.

Regard being had to the general rules of instrument-making, the lyre-zither is constructed as follows: a

A bottom provided with feet or knobs is first connected by a frame Z to a top D which is provided with sound-holes, whose form and arrangement are shown in Fig. 1. The said top is strengthened by lengthwise and crosswise strips or bridges IV, V and III, X, VI,

VII, VIII and II, glued to its under side, and these bridges are connected to the zither-bottom D by the sounding-pins S, (shown in Figs.

2,3,4,'and 5,) and said strips are cutaway on the top and bottom where they cross one another and where they meet the frame Z, so that they rest flat on the under side of the zither-top.

The finger-board strings to are fastened at their upper ends in the usual manner tot'he pegs 11 or wound on same, and their pegs are inserted in a heavy wood strip IX, which is fastened on the underside of the zither-cover D The lower ends of the finger-board strings that they stand directly under the longitudinal edges of the finger-board, and the latter is not connected to the frame Z along the front side, so that it is free in respect to the samethat is, it is freely supported.

To obtain a peculiarly-fine timbre in the tone of the instrument, the finger-board P,

which consists, usually, of a single piece of wood, is made of two or more laminae of different woods glued together or fastened together in any manner; Asshown plainly in Fig. 2, the said laminae "lie parallel to the zither-top over one another in such manner that their connecting-surfaces lie at right angles to the direction of the sound-waves proceeding from the z'ither-top or the strings.

The accompaniment and bass strings 10 of thelyre-zither are at their upper ends hung or wound around the pegs 14, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, similar to the finger-board strings and in the usual manner, and to support these pegs a head-piece I is provided, which may be ornamented, as shown in Fig. l, the said head-piece being arranged on the upper end of the zither-body or on the top of same in such manner that it only rests or is glued at its two small ends against the frame Z, so that its under side is completely ICO is freely supported-that is, rests only on sound-pins S-and in this manner its full acoustic capacity for vibration is retained. The lower ends of the accompaniment and bass strings are led over the supportingstrip L, (which is supported by the crosshridge II, already referred to,).throngh holes in the zither-top D across the interior of the zither-body, and through corresponding holes in the bottom D of the latter to a strip 0, the so-called string-holder, whereon they are hung in the usual manner.

Of the strings which are arranged in the interior of the zither-body in two systems crossing one another the longitudinal strings 10 are led with their upper ends through the free space which, as above explained, is left below the head-piece I and are hung on the under side of the zither-bottom, while on the other side of the bottom they are led over a metal strip which is supported on a wooden reinforce-strip M. The lower ends of these lengthwise strings are led over a supportingstrip (which is fastened to a wooden piece K arranged on and reinforcing the inside of the zither-bottom) and are hung or wound on pegs 12, which are inserted horizontally in the wooden piece referred to. The disposition and fastening of the strings to, running crosswise of the zither, is effected in similar manner to that above described for the longitudinal stringsthat is, by means of the string-holder \/V and the pegs 13 in the block K.

A very important practical advantage results from the use of two sets of concealed sympathetic strings arranged crosswise to each other for the reason that I am thereby enabled to economize much space while providing for the two sets of strings, the necessary head blocks and pins and separate bridges having independent vibration. The crossed sets of strings can of course lie adjacent to each other without danger of interference. The construction of the body of the zither in lyre form is of practical advantage in affording greater room and facility for applying and securing the crossed strings and enabling me to produce an instrument of the particular character described and of superior power and effectiveness within less space than would otherwise be necessary.

The condition and mode of operation whereby the above-deseribed device effects the desired new resultnamely, the unhindered propagation and the reinforcement and improvement of the musical tones developed by the strings and taken up first by the zithertop and the parts thereto attached are sum marized in the claims.

The following is claimed as new:

1. A zither having a lyre-formed body and in the interior thereof two systems of crosswise-arranged strings vibrating automatically, in sympathy with the external strings as explained.

2. In a zither constructed with a lyre-formed body the combination of external strings adapted to be played on, longitudinal and transverse systems of internal strings Q03, w adapted to receive sympathetic resonant vibration from the external strings, and the transverse and longitudinal bridges M, K K and W which support the said internal strings from the zither-bottom; substantially as described.

3. In a zither constructed with alyre-form ed body the combination of the headpiece I, freely supported, bridge-strips L N, stringholder 0, beneath the zither-body, and the strings w secured and supported thereby, finger-board P, of laminated Wood, peg-block IX and strings w, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a zither constructed with alyre-form ed body the combination of a set of external strings for playing on and longitudinally and transversely arranged internal strings, fas tened at one end to the exterior of the zitherbody and adapted to derive resonant sympathetic vibration from the external strings as explained.

5. In combination with the outer strings 20 the elastic bridges L N and the cross bridges II and III connected by the soundpins only with the zither-bottom D as explained.

6. The combination of the headpiece I, pegblock IX, zither-bottom D bridges IV, V, L, N external strings w 10 finger-board P and longitudinal and transverse internal strings to and 10 with their supporting blocks and bridges, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a lyre-formed zither, the combination of the finger-board P and supports therefor comprising longitudinal strips 1V and V independent of the sides of the frame, as and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VINCENZ ECKHART.

WVitnesses:

FRANZ WIESER, KARL GERZABEN. 

